Surprise Netflix rom-com quietly soars to top of global chart with nearly 20,000,000 views

A new Netflix rom-com released somewhat under the radar has nonetheless managed to claim the number one spot on the streamer with almost 20,000,000 in its first four days. La Dolce Villa was dropped on the platform with minimal fanfare on Thursday February 13, but clearly grabbed an audience in the mood for love, nonetheless.

As confirmed today, it soared to the top of the Netflix charts in its first week of release, boasting 19.8million views and knocking last week’s top dog, Amy Schumer vehicle Kinda Pregnant, into second place with 13.7m. The new Netflix original film stars Scandal and Scream actor Scott Foley, Maia Reficco (Pretty Little Liars) and Violante Placido and follows American businessman Eric (Foley) as he travels to Italy to stop his daydreaming daughter Olivia (Reficco) from restoring a crumbling villa under the country’s €1 renovation scheme.

Italy, however, has different plans for him as it delivers on its legendary promise of beauty, magic, and romance, promises the synopsis – and this includes the town’s beautiful mayor Francesca (Placido), who encourages Eric to reignite his love of cooking.

Only a few critics were able to review La Dolce Villa ahead of its release, meaning it has no official score available on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video.

Up Next. However, the mixed reception found comfort in its cosy predictability, with the New York Times describing it as ‘a glossy fairy tale about Americans having lighthearted adventures in Europe, getting into scrapes and falling in love and charming the pants off all the locals’.

Others praised the enthusiasm of the cast and enjoyed its lack of stakes, while Pajiba’s review observed: ‘La Dolce Villa is a not unpleasant way to spend an hour and a half with Scott Foley and dreaming about living in an Italian villa. It’s no Merry Gentlemen, but it will keep you company while you cook up a nice pasta e fagoli.’.

However, other critics slammed its ‘flimsy noodle-armed comedy’, while Marya E Gates wrote for RogerEbert.com: ‘La Dolce Villa is about as authentic an Italian experience as a night at the Olive Garden.’. Its audience reaction was also split, with a, for-now, rotten 58% score and comments swinging from ‘absolutely cringe’ to five-star raves calling it ‘total wish fulfilment’ and ‘a lovely escape’.

‘Bad acting. Repellent characters. No charm,’ wrote Ellen M in her fan review, while Wayne N asked: ‘Lordy, who wrote this? Just an atrociously bad script.’. Jamie J blasted La Dolce Villa as a ‘complete waste of time with no redeeming qualities in the slightest’, while Jeannine M shared: ‘Such a little stinker of a Hallmark movie. The actors and landscape were attractive but the storyline of an overbearing father (widower) dominating his beautiful headstrong adult daughter was just annoying and implausible. All the Italians were caricatures. Don’t waste your time.’.

But La Dolce Villa also attracted plenty of reviews with full marks as Liza S said she’d ‘highly recommended for a perfect evening of escapism’. ‘La Dolce Villa is like an extra bubbly Aperol Spritz – a lovely escape. Plus a refreshing romance between people of middle age! A wonderful way to spend an evening,’ enthused Wendy T, while Em B added: ‘A must watch rom-com that hits all the right notes!!’.

The rest of Netflix’s top 10 global films chart includes 2024 thriller Aftermath, about a hostage situation on Boston’s Tobin Bridge, Shrek and Shrek 2 and Cameron Diaz’s comeback action flick, Back in Action, with Jamie Foxx. Cineworld is going all out for the release of Wicked, and we couldn’t be more excited.

La Dolce Villa is streaming on Netflix now. Got a story?. If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

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